DATA REQUEST "WORKSHOP" PICO POWER PROJECT (02-AFC-3)

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Purpose: The California Energy Commission staff will hold a Data Request workshop for the Pico Power Project so that the applicant's representatives, interested agencies, and the public can identify and discuss the major issues, and clarify data requests for this project. An informational hearing and site visit will follow the workshop, beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the same location. Topic areas to be discussed at the workshop include air quality, biological resources, and socioeconomics, and any other issue of interest to those participating in the workshop. If you have questions in a particular technical area, please contact the project manager identified below five days in advance of the meeting date so that appropriate technical staff can plan to attend. Parties that cannot attend the workshop in Santa Clara can access the workshop via telephone conference by calling 1-800-811-2539 toll-free and entering the code 607230 to gain access.

Project Summary: On October 7, 2002, the City of Santa Clara's electric department, doing business as Silicon Valley Power (City of Santa Clara, or Applicant), filed an Application for Certification (AFC) seeking approval from the California Energy Commission to construct and operate the Pico Power Project (PPP), a natural gas-fired combustion turbine electric generating facility on an 3-acre site within the City of Santa Clara in Santa Clara County, California. The new combined-cycle facility is expected to generate 122 megawatts (MW) under nominal conditions, with the ability to peak fire up to 147 MW. The Applicant filed a supplement to its AFC on November 15, 2002, and the Commission ruled on November 20, 2002, that the AFC was data adequate, allowing Commission staff to begin their review of the AFC under the Commission's 6-month expedited AFC review process.

The generating facility would consist of two General Electric LM-6000PC Sprint combustion turbine-generators (CTGs), a single condensing steam turbine generator (STG), a deaerating surface condenser, a mechanical draft plume-abated cooling tower; and associated support equipment. The CTGs would be equipped with standard combustors, air inlet chilling, and heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) with duct burners. The emission control system includes a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) unit and water injection to control nitrogen oxides (NOx) and an oxidation catalyst to control carbon monoxide (CO). An existing pipeline currently located within the boundaries of the PPP site would supply tertiary treated recycled waste water from the San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP), located in the City of Alviso, to provide cooling water for the plant. A 115-kilovolt (kV) on-site switchyard would deliver the plant's power directly to the adjacent Kifer Receiving Station and the nearby Scott Receiving Station, located approximately 0.25 miles west of the site. The project includes approximately 2.0 miles of new 12-inch diameter underground natural gas pipeline to convey gas from Pacific Gas & Electric Company's (PG&E) gas distribution Line 132 to a gas compressor facility located on City of Santa Clara property adjacent to the PPP site. Approximately 900 feet of 18-inch diameter underground pipeline will be needed to convey the project's wastewater discharge from the PPP site south in Lafayette Avenue to a 27-inch waste water main in Central Expressway. The City of Santa Clara would provide domestic water for drinking, showers, sinks and general sanitary purposes from its municipal system.

Public Participation: The public is encouraged to participate and provide comments. For information on how to participate in the Commission's review of the proposed project, please contact Roberta Mendonca, the Commission's Public Adviser, at (916) 654-4489, toll free in California at (800) 822-6228, or by e-mail at PAO@energy.state.ca.us. If you require special accommodations, contact Lourdes Quiroz at least five days prior to the workshop at 916-654-5146.

Questions: General information and documents on the proposed project are available on the Energy Commission's website at http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/picopower. Inquiries about the project should be directed to Matt Trask, Energy Commission Project Manager, at (916) 654-4067, or e-mail at mtrask@energy.state.ca.us. News media inquiries should be directed to Claudia Chandler, Assistant Executive Director, at (916) 654-4989, or e-mail at cchandle@energy.state.ca.us.